Method of ornamenting leather shoe caps and the article produced thereby



B. F. KING METHOD OF ORNAMENTING LEATHER SHOE CAPS AND THE ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREBY Filed NOV. 26. 1928 Jan. 21, 1930.

INVENTORL Patented Jan. 21, 193i) uNrrao SEATES ATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN 3?. KING, OF ENDICOTI, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ENDICOTT JOHNSON CORPORATION, OF ENDICOTT, HEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD or oRNAI-amrrme LEATHER SHOE cars AND THE ARTICLE PRODUCED THEREIBY 7 Application filed November 26, 1928. Serial No. 321,940.

This invention has particular reference to leather boots. shoes and the like and resides in a novel method of producing ornamenation on the leather caps and quarters used in such shoes. Ordinarily leather shoe cans and quarters are ornamented by rows of perforations of the same or different sizes and shapes, arranged in various ways relatively to each other or to rows of stitching; such perforations being formed by cutting out small pieces of the leather by means of suitable punches and the perforated portions are then backed with tape or other material to close the inner ends of the perforations to prevent the lightcolored lining showing through such perforations, and also to prevent water passing through the perforations.

The perforations are usually made by means of hollow sharp edged tubular punches. Such tubular punches are expensive and if the edge of any such tube becomes nicked it is spoiled. In one method such punches have been mounted upon a reciprocahle head and the leather fed under or past such head and a line of perforations made in the leather by repeated reciprocal operations of the head, much after the manner in which a seam is sewn by a sewing machine. Another method is to mount on a base or head, a sufficient number of punches (of the proper size and arranged in accordance with the number and extent of perforations to be produced in the cap or quarter) so that the complete line of ornamental perforation in he cap or quarter can be made by one operation of the head.

The inner edges of the perforations so out are raw; and such perforations permit moisture or water to pass through and under the cap; and of course the leather is weakened by such perforations.

The object of my invention is to produce the desired ornamentation by what appear to be actual perforations and actual stitching but which perforations are only partial and which apparent stitching may be only imitation stitching. In carrying out my invention I only partially perforate the leather, so that while there appear to be holes or perforations in the leather or rows of stitching the perforations do not extend entirely through the leather either for the rows of apparent perforations or for the rows of imitation stltchlng, and therefore there will be no need of any backing under the perforations, passage or leakage of water through the partialperforations is absolutely prevented, and the leather will not be seriously weakened. A further object is to protect the raw side walls of the partial-perforations by searing the same simultaneously with the production" thereof.

In carrying out my method I preferably attach a number of solid punches of the proper sizes, and corresponding in form and arrange ment to the line of ornamentation to be proably electrical by which uniform heat may be obtained and maintained, and which will enable the punch press to be operated continuously.

In my method it is not necessary to employ tubular punches because instead of actually perforating the leather I only partially perforate it, the partial perforations extending say about three-fourths through the thickness of the leather; and the material displaced in making each partial perforation is retained and compressed at the lower.

end of the partial perforation. By my invention I avoid the necessity for and cost of using sharp edged perforated tubular punches; also the cost and use of material for backing; and also the cost of labor of backing the perforated caps and quarters as heretofore made.

In the accompanying drawings I have conventionally illustrated a shoe cap or quarter and one arrangement of dies for ornamenting same in accordance with my invention,

which I will explain to facilitate a full understanding of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a portion of a shoe cap or quarter ornamented by a row of partial perforations.

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged detail transverse section through a series of the partial perforations.

Fig. 3 is a conventional diagrammatic view of a head or base to which the punches are attached. I

Any desired arrangement of ornamental partial perforations can be obtained by using correspondingly arranged punches. Thus the ornamentation shown in Fig. 1 is made by large partial-perforations 1 separated by groups of smaller partial-perforations 2. These perforations could be made by suitable dies 1 and 2 attached to a base 3, as indicated in Fig. 3, which base can be heated by any suitable means, as by an enclosed electric heater conventionally indicated at 7.

In carrying out the invention the cap or quarter L, or other piece of leather to be ornamerited, is subjected to the action of a suitably arranged series of punches 1 and 2 which may be attached to a head or base 3 as indicated in Fig. 3, the movement of the head being so controlled that the punches cannot pass entirely through the leather L but will almost out therethrough.

As shown in the diagrammatic section, Fig. 2, each partial-perforation 1 and 2 extends almost entirely through the leather, and the hard top layer L of the leather L is cut through at each partial-perforation and such cut portion is depressed and forced downward in the hole, and the intermediatesofter portion of the leather (lying between the top layer and bottom layer thereof) is compressed in the lower endof each hole as indicated at 1 and 2.

Preferably the punches 1, 2 are heated sufiiciently to partly sear the raw sides of the perforations, as indicated at 1, 2, so that fibers of the leather will not projectinto the partial-perforations and present an unsightly appearance.

The partiaLperforations have all the appearance of actual or complete perforations or holes, and the top layer of the leather is actually cut through at, and compressed into, each hole; but the bottom layer of the leather is not perforated.

The punches 1, 2 can be set in suitable holes in a base 3, and should correspond in contour and arrangement to the general contour and arrangement of the line of orna mentation to be produced in the leather caps and quarters. The punches may be of different sizes and of any desired crosssection and grouped as desired, in accordance with the particular ornamental design to be produced.

I am aware that in book binding leather has been lettered by, means of type, which is heated when the lettering is to be in gold;

I am also aware that designs have been pressed upon leather to be subsequently worked therein; but such methods essentially differ from my invention, in that heretofore letters and designs have simply been pressed upon the surface of the leather which surface remains unbroken and uncut; and such surface ornamentation would be wholly unfitted for ornamenting shoes and boots, as such surface ornamentation would soon disappear if subjectedto hard weather and the usage to which shoe caps and quarters are subjected. In my invention the ornamentation is produced complete and is not merely a pattern to be subsequently completed by further operations; I do not merely impress ornamentation on the surface of the leather but actually out the top surface layer of the leather and condense this cut portion of the layer and. the part of the leather immediately,

thereunder in the hole in the leather, thus producing the visual effect of actual perforations or holes yet maintaining the base layer of the leather imperforate, such base portion of the leather being greatly condensed at the bottom of each hole or partial-perforation.

I claim: 1. The herein described method of ornamenting shoe leather; consisting in partially perforating the leather in such manner thatthe top layer of the leather is severed at the upper end of each partial-perforation and the immediate underlying portion is condensed at the lower end of the partial-perforation; the

bottom portion of the leather remaining imperforate but condensed at the lower end of each partial-perforation.

2. The herein described method or ornamenting shoe leather; consisting in partially perforating the leather in conformity with.v

the design to be produced, in such manner that the top layer of the leather is severed and the immediately underlying portion of the leather is condensed at the lower end of each partial-perforation, while the bottom portion of the leather is left imperforate but condensed at the lower end of each partial perforation.

3. The herein described method of ornamenting leather shoe caps and quarters; con- 711115 sisting in partially perforating the leather, by means of suitable punches arranged conformably to the design to be produced, in such manner that the top layer of the leather is severed by each punch and the underlying,"

duced, in such manner that the top layer of the leather is severed by each punch and together with the underlying portion of the leather is condensed at the bottom of each partial perforation; the bottom portion of the leather remaining imperforate but condensed at lower end of each partial perforation; and the sides of each partial perforation being slightly seared simultaneously with the formation thereof.

5. As a new article of manufacture, leather ornamented by a series of partial perforations therein, the top layer of the leather being severed at the upper end of each partial-perforation and together With the portion of the leather immediately underlying such perforation condensed at the lower end of the partial-perforation; the bottom portion of the leather remaining imperforate.

BENJAMIN F. KING. 

